LUNDA AND MOXICO DISTRICTS 307 



The district of Lunda, which lies to the east 

 of the provinces of North and South Coanza, 

 consists geologically of a sandstone formation 

 overlying Primary rocks which outcrop occasion- 

 ally in tor and monolith. The Lunda plateau, 

 some 3000 to 2500 feet high, slopes generally 

 from south to north towards the Zambezi, and is 

 intersected by its numerous tributaries which 

 flow from north to south in somewhat parallel 

 courses and thickly wooded valleys through a 

 country which is mainly savannah and open 

 forest. The climate is hot and unhealthy, the 

 rainfall varies from 40 to 60 inches, and the country 

 is unsuited for European settlement. The mineral 

 resources of the Lunda province are copper, and 

 diamonds which have been recently found in 

 large numbers towards the Belgian border. 



The district of Moxico to the south of Lunda 

 and east of Benguella has a similar climate to 

 that of Lunda, but slightly drier and cooler. I 

 have no knowlege of its geological formation. 



South of the Lower Coanza district is that of 

 Benguella, the most important in the colony, as 

 it contains the highest and healthiest plateaux 

 and the railway which leads across them to 

 Katanga. For the geological portion of its de- 

 scription I am indebted to the famous African 

 geologist, Gregory. 



The coast consists of an alluvial plain, suc- 

 ceeded by a narrow belt of Cretaceous hills, with 

 occurrences of marls and conglomerates. These 

 form the first of the terraces which rise to the 

 high inland plateau. The temperature, 70 to 



